A spectacular photograph above by Don Burdick and an interesting story in the Washington Post about shelf clouds. Burdick shot the photograph in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware as the shelf cloud came in ahead of a storm.
The story describes how storms "exhale" gusts of cool air, that air hitting the ground and fanning out ahead of the storm. I have to wonder if the photographs above and below are shelf clouds. Above is a cloud that came down Jones Bay with distinctly cool, powerful winds. I rounded up, dropped anchor in Sound Bay just as the storm hit. The wind and rain was so strong I could not see more than a few feet, rain drops hitting the water so hard and fast it created a "fog" a few feet deep over the water's surface. (No photographs of that, I was too busy bailing.) So I do think this was a shelf cloud.
I am less sure about this cloud. There was almost no wind (which you can see by looking at the jib). The cloud came from out over Tangier Sound, passed me by and continued east up the Little Annemessex River. It was the last day of a cruise and I motored into the ramp, typing up just as the storm hit with lightning so severe I left SPARTINA at the dock and hid in the nearby shelter. With the lack of cool wind, maybe it wasn't a shelf cloud. But it certainly was an interesting cloud.
I guess the basic lesson here is that when you see an interesting cloud in the sky, look for shelter.
Just about five weeks until the fall cruise. Can't wait!
2 comments:
That photo from Rehoboth blew up all over local social media the day it happened. Lots of different views of the same thing. I was really glad that see the explanation in the Post yesterday. We've seen that shelf cloud phenomenon so many times out on the water and from our front porch too. Both of your photos certainly look like shelf clouds. I'd be hunkering down.
That was a great explanation in the story. I found the 3-D radar fascinating. Hope I get to catch up with you and Fred this October. steve
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